Camille Saint-Saëns: Complete Piano Works, Vol. 5 - Rarities and Transcriptions

Camille Saint-Saens - (1835-1921) - Complete Piano Works - 5 - Rarities and Transcriptions - Geoffrey Burlson, piano - GRAND PIANO - TT: 78:10 - (2019) - (**-world premiere recording - Program - Two Bagatelles - (1858) - (**) - I - Bagatelle No. 1; II - Bagatelle No. 2; III - Antwort - (1866 - ; IV - Fantaise sur le quintette de 'L'Etoile du Nord,' de Meyerbeer - (1858) - (**); V - Valse de 'Prophet' de Meyerbeer - (1857) - (**); VI - Fantaisie sur 'Lohengrin,' de Wagner - (1859) - (**); VII - Choeur des 'Derviches,' Tourneurs Tire des 'Ruine d'Athens,' de Beethoven - (1869); VIII - Paraphrase sur 'Gallia,' de Gounod - (1871) - (**); IX - Scherzo sur 'Les Pecheurs de PPerles,' de Bizet - (1886) - (**) -X - La mort de Thais - Paraphrase de concert sur l'opera de Massenet - (1895); XI - Improvisation sur La Beethoven-Cantate de Liszt - (1870) - (**); XII - Africa, op. 89 - (version for piano solo) - (1891).This new recital in this series certainly offers several world premiere recordings based on a series of unpublished Saint-Saens compositions for the piano. Fortunately for music lovers today and through the diligent research of this brilliant piano virtuoso, Geoffrey Burleson, while in Paris doing research for this complete recording project of the complete oeuvre for the piano of Saint-Saens, now it is possible to hear these colorful and extremely difficult piano pieces which have remained unknown and unpublished in the vaults of a famous library in the "City of Lights."Again, this pianist certainly has a superb technique; however, as can be heard, it is always as a servant to the tonal requirements of the composer and to the particular composition; furthermore, his playing is full of energy, excitement, as well as a total understanding for nuance, expression, and the Art of the Musical Phrase; moreover, there is also a warmth of tone as well.Again, this entire recital and especially the Fantasies and Paraphrases are extremely noteworthy. Saint-Saens' Scherzo from Bizet is a colorful and tuneful piece of writing as is the exciting transcription of the Beethoven 'Ruin of Athens. This is truly a virtuoso piece while short and under 4 minutes, nevertheless, it is an extremely show of any pianist's performance which is full of panache and bravura.The really superb Hamburg Steinway model D utilized in this new recording is a beautifully voiced and balanced concert instrument throughout it total registers. Excellent program notes are here as written by the artist.